changing resolution/aspect so clips match movie

[spiritgumm]

Couple different projects with different issues:

Trying to add a few seconds of black frame to start/end of movie in TDA. The movie is 704x480, the black is 720x480 (I snipped from elsewhere), so TDA won't let me. Vobedit can join the clips/movie, and it seems to play fine (in the computer) BUT is this really a safe method of mixing resolutions? Shouldn't I try to make them match?
Even if Vobedit method is safe, I'd like to know how to change resolution. When I tried to change the clip-resolution from 720 to 704 (movie) with Dvdpatcher it turned the black into green stripes.
Then tried Ifoedit, but when I ran the clip in TDA to see if it had changed, TDA said they were still 720. TDA won't allow you to combine video of different resolution, aspect or audio types. Which brings me to next problem.

Another project, I'm trying to insert 4:3 aspect clips into a 16:9 movie. The clips visually look like widescreen (black top & bottom) but the video is really fullscreen. I tried to change their aspect to 16:9 to match the movie but the size got all screwy. It's as if I need to make the image-portion bigger, so when I change the aspect, it will shrink to the original size. Anyway, is there a way to make it work?
If it's safe for VOBedit to mix the resolutions (as described in first project), will it allow safe joining video with different aspects (2nd project)?

2nd project has incompatible audio, but I'll wait for a reply to the above.

[manono]

For your first problem, just reencode your black clip to 704x480. I don't know how you're encoding, but if frameserving using VDub, resize and then feed whatever encoder you use. If using AviSynth, create a fresh one of whatever length you like:

BlankClip(Length=120,FPS=29.97,Width=704,Height=48 0)

That will create a 704x480 4 second long (120 frames) black video at 29.97fps. Change whatever you like. Check your script in VDub(Mod) to make sure it's OK, and then send to your favorite encoder.

Another project, I'm trying to insert 4:3 aspect clips into a 16:9 movie.

If converting widescreen 4:3 to 16:9, crop 60 pixels from both the top and bottom, and then resize to 720x480. Easy in VDub. If using AviSynth:

AVISource("C:\Path\To\Video.avi")#if the source is an AVI
Crop(0,60,0,-60)
Lanczos4Resize(720x480)

[spiritgumm]

Hey manono! I got a headache THIS big (see avatar) . I'm more of a GUI guy. Can you recommend a non-script method? If not, I appreciate your attention anyway.

[AlanHK]

Hey manono! I got a headache THIS big (see avatar) . I'm more of a GUI guy. Can you recommend a non-script method? If not, I appreciate your attention anyway.

You can do everythng you asked with Avisynth commands.
If you want to do anything slightly complex, bite the bullet and try.

If you use VirtualDubMod it has a script editor, you can modify and see the results immediately.

[manono]

Hey manono! I got a headache THIS big (see avatar)

Hehe, if you don't like AviSynth (although if you often do stuff like this, it's in your best interest to learn), then you can do it in VDub. If you don't know how to crop and resize in VDub, followed by a frameserve out to your encoder, then I can't help you. There are VDub guides around here somewhere. I don't use VDub for that, so I'll let you find them, or let someone else explain it to you. Good luck.